The Jessie Movie
The Jessie Movie is a 2021 American computer-animated comedy-drama film produced by Owen Laramore Productions and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Gary Marsh and Roberts Gannaway in their directorial debuts, the film stars Joan Cusack reprising her role of Jessie from the Toy Story ''franchise, alongside Josh Gad, Danny DeVito, Lupita Nyong'o, Christopher McDonald, Colin Firth, and James Cromwell. It is also the second theatrically released Owen Laramore Entertainment film, after [[Disney In The House|''Disney In The House]]. The film follows the events of Toy Story 3, where Jessie sets out to be the bravest toy around, with help from a group of new friends to guide her. The film was made when Owen Laramore Entertainment closed down Owen Laramore Home Video to focus on theatrical films. The Jessie Movie is the first, and so far, only Toy Story film to receive a PG rating from the MPAA. The film was released theatrically in the United States on July 25, 2021, to largely positive reviews from critics, who praised its music, animation, visual style, and voice acting. It was also commercially successful, grossing $499 million worldwide on a $97 million budget. The Jessie Movie was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 94th Academy Awards, but lost to The Lego Worlds Movie. Plot Barbie and Ken go to the theater to see a movie, and count down backwards from ten to start the movie. One year after the events of Toy Story 3, Jessie, one of Bonnie's toys, decides she has had enough being scared. On a play called "The Fierce Dinosaur", where they have to save the tumbling tower, Jessie angrily knocks the tower down and leaves Bonnie's house, Woody tries to tell her what being brave means, but Jessie is oblivious, thinking that all the other toys know is fear. Jessie brings her horse, Bullseye, and they venture off--only to be swept away by a portal to Penguin Wonderland. There, they befriend five Chinstrap Penguins, a white tiger, a warrior named Olivia, an anthropomorphic rhinoceros named Hero Rhino, and the Chinstrap Penguin love guru, Fameface. At first, Fameface disapproves of Jessie, much to her disappointment. Afterward, a bank robber named Stan steals a money train. Jessie proves her bravery by stopping Stan's getaway, and he retreats. Jessie, Bullseye, White Tiger, Olivia, Hero Rhino, and the penguins the Baby Pteranodon, and after encountering several misadventures, lava shoots up from underground beneath them. Hero Rhino rescues the others and narrowly misses certain death by falling into the lava and being shot back to safety by a geyser. The group stops for the night, and Jessie learns that when you're brave, there's nothing you can't do. Jessie is corrupted by a nightmare in which her friends were old and wrinkly. Worried about Jessie and Bullseye, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Rex, and Hamm approach Penguin Wonderland to find them. Upon spying them, they think Jessie's new friends brainwashed her and capture them. Jessie orders them to stop and confesses everything she learned has made her feel brave. Touched by this, they toys free Jessie's new friends. At that moment, the Baby Pterandon's mother arrives, and, using the baby as bait, she lures the mother away from the toys. Fameface helps her, having to have had a change of heart. Fameface and the baby nearly fall of the edge, but Jessie grabs the rope, but is unable to save both of them, so Fameface sacrifices himself, giving Jessie time to save the baby (with help from Slinky). Fameface's death reveals that he was a silver egg on the inside. After the Pteranodons fly home, Jessie says goodbye to her new friends, and Jessie, Bullseye, Woody, Buzz, Mr. Potato Head, Slinky, Rex, and Hamm head home. Back at Bonnie's house, "The Fierce Dinosaur" is reformed, and Jessie declares "When You're Brave, There's Nothing You Can't Do" is something the toys cannot forget. Barbie and Ken prepare to go home when the film ends, and Ken stays to look at the credits. Cast * Joan Cusack as Jessie * Josh Gad as Jeremy Penguin * Danny DeVito as White Tiger * Lupita Nyong'o as Olivia the Warrior * Christopher McDonald as Hero Rhino * Colin Firth as Stan the bank robber * James Cromwell as Fameface Penguin * Jonah Hill as Kendall Penguin * Jon Hamm as Alvin Penguin * Jon Heder as Chris Penguin * Dee Bradley Baker as Rick Penguin/Aliens * Jim Hanks as Woody * Christopher Corey Smith as Buzz Lightyear * Ray Winstone as Mr. Potato Head * Blake Clark as Slinky Dog * Wallace Shawn as Rex * John Ratzenberger as Hamm * Estelle Harris as Mrs. Potato Head * Timothy Dalton as Mr. Pricklepants * Bonnie Hunt as Dolly * Kristen Schaal as Trixie * Dan Aykroyd as Buttercup * Frank Welker as Bullseye/Baby Pteranodon/Mother Pteranodon * Jodi Benson as Barbie * Michael Keaton as Ken Production Development In June 2020, when Disney In The House was almost finished, Laramore, Marsh, and Gannaway went to lunch at Denny's, and they saw a little girl holding a Jessie doll. The girl came across them and asked them to make a movie about the character for their next movie. They were impressed by her love for the character, and finished the dinner with a plan for this film and three other films, Disney Infinity, The Jungle Book, and Disney Dimensions. Marsh and Gannaway were revealed to be directing the film in their directorial debuts. Casting At Laramore's announcement of the movie, Joan Cusack said she wanted to reprise her role of Jessie. Later, Josh Gad, Jon Hamm, Jon Heder, Jonah Hill, and Dee Bradley Baker were revealed to be voicing five Chinstrap penguins: Jeremy, Alvin, Chris, Kendall, and Rick. For the role of White Tiger, they searched for actors, including Gary Sinise, Derek Stephen Prince, and Danny DeVito. The former two dropped out due to "creative differences" while the latter accepted the role. Lupita Nyong'o was chosen to voice Olivia the warrior because of how suitable for voice was. For the role of Hero Rhino, Dick Van Dyke and Patrick Stewart were considered, but those sounded too soft, and Marsh and Gannaway wanted the character to have a deep tone. Christopher McDonald took the role and said that his voice sounded very rhino-like. Colin Firth and James Cromwell were cast on January 21, 2021. Music This film and ''The Lego Toy Story Movie'' were the only two Toy Story films not to have their music composed by Randy Newman. Newman's cousin, David Newman, composed the music instead. Marsh and Gannaway said they hired Newman because they found his scores on Ice Age, The Cat In The Hat, and Disney In The House: Time Travel, the latter which Marsh was one of the storywriters on. Reception Box office The film grossed $249 million in the United States and Canada, and $250 million in other territories, for a wordwide total of $499 million, right by the end of its theatrical run on November 2021. The production budget was $97 million. Critical response The Jessie Movie received generally positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a very rare 100% approval rating (the same rating as Disney In The House). The website's critic consensus reads, "Full of dazzling visuals and an outstanding voice cast, The Jessie Movie works perfectly". Metacritic signed the film a score of 98 out of 100 based on 45 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave the film a score of 94% and a 95% "definite recommend". Jennie Punter of The Globe And Mail ''gave the film a positive review, saying, "The story the little kid gave Owen Laramore and his team really works out as a fine-"if dramatic"-metaphor". Mary Pols of ''Time Magazine gave the film five stars. Roger Moore of Movie Nation praised the film's voice cast and wrote, "Joan Cusack is back! I am so emotionally prepared for her comeback since Toy Story 4. The Jessie Movie, the first theatrical film featuring the critter-loving lady, has such an amazing all-star voice cast including Joan Cusack, Josh Gad, Danny DeVito, Lupita Nyong'o, Christopher McDonald, Colin Firth, and James Cromwell. Those are really cool cast members. They really deserve awards for voicing very cool characters in a very cool movie".